On October 5, SU alumnus Brandon Steiner will be on the Syracuse University campus to sign copies of his newest book, You Gotta Have Balls: How a Kid from Brooklyn Started From Scratch, Bought Yankee Stadium, and Created a Sports Empire. The campus and local communities are invited to meet Steiner and at the same time, purchase a book to have signed at any of these three times and locations:
- SU Bookstore, Schine Student Center,4:00-5:00 p.m.
- SU Quad (Family Fun Zone prior to the SU Men’s Football game vs. Pittsburgh), 5:30-6:30 p.m.
- Orange Shoppe, Carrier Dome during halftime of SU vs. Pitt men’s football game, 7:00 p.m. start.
- Additionally, he will be autograph books at Barnes and Noble, 3454 Erie Blvd. East, October 6 at 1:00 p.m.
Steiner is founder and chairman of Steiner Sports Marketing, the largest company of its kind in America that is celebrating its 25th anniversary as the most successful sports marketing and memorabilia brand in the industry. In 2003 he published his first book, The Business Playbook: Leadership Lessons from the World of Sports. Steiner’s latest book, which will appear in many of the country’s top colleges’ syllabi, shares his journey and business lessons. “I will never forget my mother’s favorite phrase, ‘You gotta have balls,'” notes Steiner. Having much respect for her as a mother and mentor, those words have not only been rooted in his life but approach to business. His book teaches philosophies that have allowed him to become an industry leader, including:
- Why being first to market is everything
- The importance of aligning people with their strengths
- Always ask “What Else?” when working with clients to enhance relationships
- Don’t expand just to expand; do it within industries where your passion lies
As one of the first members of the Falk College Sport Management Advisory Council created in 2006, Steiner provided tremendous strategic insight to the Department of Sport Management, playing a major role in the sport management program’s success. In recognition of his service to benefit students and the Department of Sport Management, Steiner received the inaugural Champion Award from the Sport Management Advisory Council in 2011, honoring his initiative, commitment, guidance philanthropy and exemplary service to the board. Today he leads the SPM Advisory Council as its newest chair. He earned an undergraduate degree in accounting at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management from Syracuse in 1981.